Holy Hot Peppers, Batman!

Super Duper Hot crushed pepper mix...

Ghost, Scotch, Habanero and more peppers ...  

Our west coast summer this year was very hot and very, very dry ... Luckily, it just so happens that peppers love these conditions!

We grew a large variety of peppers... From sweet, juicy Bull Horns, to mildly hot Paprika's, to stinkin' hot Ghost peppers!

The dehydrator that Santa brought me in December was put to great use...  drying peppers of all kinds. Thank you, Santa!

Crushed chili peppers

In mid-summer, I made some lovely ground paprika powder from our own paprika peppers, as well as a few jars of crushed chili pepper flakes from our one Firecracker Chili pepper plant. This plant puts out a lot, lot, lot of peppers!

Just this past week, we made some Holy Hot Pepper crush from our super hots for hubby and his heat addicted buddies. 

Nothing better to spice up your life than a peck of homegrown, organic peppers ; )   

How-to make your own powder or flakes?



Making your own crushed hot peppers, or chili flakes, paprika powder, or other pepper goodies could not be any easier!

 1. Grow some great organic, heirloom peppers...

 Chocolate Habanero Peppers

For our Holy Hot, Batman! super hot crushed peppers, we grew some super hots... Habaneros, both Peach and Chocolate, Scotch Bonnets, Bhut Jolkoia (Ghost peppers).

And added some hot-hots ... Pasillo Bajio, Firecracker Chili, Chinese Five Colour.

 

 Bhut Jolokia aka The Ghost Pepper

All peppers, hot and sweet, can be picked at any stage.. green or red or yellow, etc...  

The hots will have heat at all stages, though different amounts at different colours, while the sweets will be sweeter the more colour they have to them. 

 Fresh hot peppers... 

(18" wide seagrass basket) 

2. When ripe, pick your peppers, wash them well, place in the dehydrator for 18 to 24 hours.

We left our peppers whole as we wanted the seeds and all (the heat is in the seeds!), however, we did remove the cap ends. You can cut the peppers into smaller pieces to dry faster and/or remove the seeds for less heat. 

The dehydrator was placed out in the garage with the left the door open, so as not to fumigate the place too badly. Keep your dogs and cats out of this area.

Please! Do not stick your head over the hole in the dehydrator or you may blind yourself and/or find yourself gasping for breath! I kid you not! The fumes from these super hots can be pretty deadly, kind of like pepper spray!!! So place in an un-used room with good ventilation and shut the door from the rest of the house, or go outside ... place in some space where you do not have to breath in the fumes!

 

20-ish hours later...

Dried super hot peppers.. 

(Is now a smaller 12" basket ; ) 

Once you  have dried your peppers thoroughly, place them in a burr grinder to buzz them into the size of flakes or powder that you want for your cooking. 

Be careful.. use gloves, make sure to ventilate properly, then wash yourself, the counters, and the equipment really well. 

Do NOT touch your pets, your privates, your eyes, pick your nose, or touch anything else that is sensitive if you did not use gloves! ... And even if you did, please use caution. 

3. Place your pepper crush or powder into super cute little jars... Eat them all yourself or share with friends  : )

Christmas time's a comin'! 

Grow great, organic, heirloom peppers and make your own lovely peppers flakes!

... can also be pickled ; )  

Happy growing!